1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid processing apparatus for applying a designated liquid treatment on various substrates, for example, semiconductor wafers, LCD glass substrates, etc. and also relates to a liquid processing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, there is used a liquid processing apparatus for removing contaminations (e.g. particles, organic contaminations, metallic impurities, etc.), organic matter, oxide films from semiconductor wafers (which will be called “wafers etc.” hereinafter) as the substrates.
For example, as a sort of “wafer” liquid processing apparatuses, there is known a liquid processing apparatus that includes a processing chamber liquid for accommodating a plurality of wafers and also processing the so-accommodated wafers in a batch. The known liquid processing apparatus is equipped with nozzles each having an ejecting orifice to eject a treatment liquid in substantially conical shape. While using the so-constructed nozzles, the liquid treatment is carried out by ejecting the treatment liquid against the wafers rotating in the in-plane directions, from their lateral upside of the wafers.
In the above-mentioned processing method, however, the treatment liquid does not come into effective contact with the surfaces of the wafers since a lot of liquid upon contact with the side faces of the wafers spatters on the inner wall of the processing chamber and the so-spattered liquid is drained along the inner wall subsequently. In other words, the above-mentioned processing apparatus and method have a problem of great consumption of the treatment liquid in order to remove the contaminations on the wafers, being accompanied with an extend time for processing the wafers furthermore. Additionally, in spite of great consumption of the treatment liquid, there still remains a possibility of insufficient removal of contaminations, easily causing the occurrence of unevenness in the liquid treatment.